DC United sign Costa Rican defender Joseph Mora

D.C. United have bolstered their roster for the 2018 season by adding Costa Rican defender Joseph Mora from Deportivo Saprissa, pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate and P1 Visa, the club announced Wednesday.

Mora, 25, is a left back that can also fill in at left wing. He has registered a goal and two assists in 83 appearances across all competitions with Saprissa since joining the club in 2015 and helped them to league titles in the 2015 Invierno and 2016 Invierno editions of the Costa Rican top flight.

“Mora is a guy that we brought in to compete for a starting spot. … He comes from a very good club where he’s used to winning, which I think is a good thing,” D.C. head coach Ben Olsen told reporters on Tuesday. “Athletically he’s up to speed. His 1-v-1 defending is high quality. Technically he’s sound. So he has all the physical attributes and technical attributes that we want out of the position.

“Now it’s just a matter of getting him up to speed with how we want him to defend and attack, and that’s going to take a little bit of time. But he’s an intelligent kid, and I think that process will move pretty quickly.”

Starting his career at hometown Belen FC (now known as Guadalupe FC) in 2011, Mora had two stints at that club, sandwiched between a spell with CS Uruguay de Coronado in 2012-13. He also was a Costa Rican youth international and appeared for the Ticos in both the 2009 FIFA Under-17 World Cup and 2011 FIFA Under-20 World Cup.

In D.C., Mora will former Saprissa teammate Ulises Segura, who was signed from the Costa Rican club on Dec. 21, 2017. The pair featured in 57 matches together for Saprissa stretching from 2015 to 2017.

D.C. United opened the 2018 season with a 1-1 draw against Orlando City. Their next match comes on the road against Atlanta United on Sunday (3 pm ET | ESPN, MLS LIVE; DAZN in Canada).